Box Score Box Score
HAMMOND – Trent Hutchin scored a game-high 19 points while
Brandon Fortenberry scored all 13 of his points in the second half to lead Southeastern Louisiana to a 64-54 win over Stephen F. Austin in the Southland Conference opener for both teams Saturday at the University Center.
David Ndoumba added 13 points and three blocks for Southeastern (7-6, 1-0 Southland), which was playing its first game at home since Dec. 1. Stephen F. Austin, the NCAA Division leader in scoring defense (51.3), fell to 9-4 overall and 0-1 in league play.
Both teams battled through five ties and seven lead changes in the opening half before two free throws by
Deshawn Patterson with 6:02 remaining gave Southeastern an 18-16 lead it would not relinquish. The Lions pushed their lead to 27-20 on a putback bucket by Ndoumba and led 27-22 at halftime.
Fortenberry, who went 0-for-6 in the first half, heated up for Southeastern in the final 20 minutes going 4-for-5 from the floor and 5-for-8 from the free throw line. He twice added key buckets after SFA cut the lead to two – the last coming at the 17:00 mark when his 16-foot jumper gave the Lions a 31-27 lead.
The junior guard, who added a game-high four assists, scored five points in a 7-0 run that turned a 35-32 lead into a 42-32 cushion with 11:52 left.
The Lumberjacks got as close as 58-52 on a 3-pointer by Desmond Haymon with 1:24 remaining, but Southeastern iced the game with six free throws in the final 1:03.
Southeastern finished 19-for-40 from the floor (47.5 percent) and 20-for-29 from the free throw line.
Jason Marks pulled down a team-high seven rebounds to lead Southeastern, which won its 10th straight game on its home floor dating back to last season.
Jereal Scott led SFA, which was held to 19-for-54 from the floor (35.2 percent), with 15 points while Antonio Bostic came off the bench to add 11. Jordan Glynn grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds for the Lumberjacks while Scott added seven.
Southeastern will return to action on Saturday when it travels to face Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in a 1 p.m. contest at the American Bank Center.
STEPHEN F. AUSTIN (9-4, 0-1 Southland)
Scott 6-9 3-4 15; Bostic 5-12 1-1 11; Haymon 2-3 0-2 6; Williams 2-7 2-2 6; Glynn 2-6 2-2 6; Barnes 0-6 5-6 5; Downing 1-3 0-1 3; Gomillia 1-5 0-0 2; Olatayo 0-0 0-0 0; Gardner 0-1 0-0 0; Cutler 0-1 0-0 0; Prewster 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 19-54 13-18 54.
SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA (7-6, 1-0 Southland)
Hutchin 6-11 2-2 19; Fortenberry 4-11 5-8 13; Ndoumba 5-6 3-6 13; Patterson 1-2 4-6 6; Dixon 1-5 2-2 5; Marks 1-1 2-3 4; Johnson 1-2 2-2 4; Benton 0-0 0-0 0; Campbell 0-1 0-0 0; Harrel 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 19-40 20-29 64.
Halftime – SLU 27, SFA 22. 3-point goals – SFA 3-15 (Haymon 2-3; Downing 1-1; Williams 0-2; Barnes 0-4; Gardner 0-1; Bostic 0-4), SLU 6-16 (Hutchin 5-9; Dixon 1-4; Harrel 0-1; Fortenberry 0-2). Fouled out - None. Rebounds – SFA 35 (Glynn 10), SLU 28 (Marks 7). Assists – SFA 5 (Five with 1), SLU 10 (Fortenberry 4). Total fouls – SFA 22, SLU 18. Technical fouls - None. A – 585.
